column-count
CSS property · 12 supported, 0 partial, 3 unsupported across 15 clients
column-count splits content into multiple newspaper-style columns. In email, the property is poorly supported — Outlook ignores it entirely, and Gmail strips it through its sanitizer. Email developers traditionally achieve multi-column layouts using nested tables instead, which is more verbose but reliably renders everywhere.
Client Support
| Client | Category | Engine | Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gmail | webmail | Gmail Web | Supported |
| Gmail Android | mobile | Gmail Mobile | Supported |
| Gmail iOS | mobile | Gmail Mobile | Supported |
| Outlook 365 | webmail | Outlook Web | Supported |
| Outlook (New) | desktop | Outlook Web | Unsupported |
| Outlook Classic | desktop | Microsoft Word | Unsupported |
| Outlook iOS | mobile | Outlook Mobile | Supported |
| Outlook Android | mobile | Outlook Mobile | Supported |
| Apple Mail | desktop | WebKit | Supported |
| Apple Mail iOS | mobile | WebKit | Supported |
| Yahoo Mail | webmail | Yahoo | Unsupported |
| Samsung Mail | mobile | Samsung | Supported |
| Thunderbird | desktop | Gecko | Supported |
| HEY Mail | webmail | WebKit | Supported |
| Superhuman | desktop | Blink | Supported |
Client-by-client behaviour for column-count
Fully supports column-count (12): Gmail, Gmail Android, Gmail iOS, Outlook 365, Outlook iOS, Outlook Android, Apple Mail, Apple Mail iOS, Samsung Mail, Thunderbird, HEY Mail, Superhuman.
No support (3): Outlook (New), Outlook Classic, Yahoo Mail. Plan fallbacks for these clients before relying on column-count in production sends.
When to use column-count in email
- Modern client-only digest layouts where content flows across two columns automatically.
- Footer link grids in templates targeting Apple Mail and Superhuman audiences.
- Visual experimentation in marketing emails for high-design audiences.
Rendering behaviour and edge cases
- Outlook on Windows ignores column-count and renders all content in a single column.
- Gmail strips column-count along with most modern layout properties.
- Apple Mail supports column-count correctly but applies its own gutter algorithm that may not match designs.
Recommended fallback strategy
Use nested tables with width="50%" and align="left" for multi-column layouts. If you must use column-count, set up a single-column fallback inside a <!--[if mso]>...<![endif]--> conditional so Outlook still receives readable copy.
Fixes & Workarounds
Outlook (New)
Unsupported"column-count" is not supported in this email client.
Outlook Classic
Unsupported"column-count" is not supported in this email client.
Yahoo Mail
Unsupported"column-count" is not supported in this email client.
Related Features
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Try Emailens FreeSupport data last updated Apr 27, 2026 · synced from caniemail.com via @emailens/engine.